90: From Unplanned Pregnancy to Financially Free with Melissa from Traveling Wallet

When Melissa found out she was pregnant, she was a sophomore in college. Her counselor gave her a pretty alarming statistic: a frighteningly small number of women who get pregnant in college actually end up graduating.  Melissa threw herself into her studies, and prepared as much as she could for the birth of her son. And while her plans may have been changed by this unexpected addition, she pushed on and beat the odds - in more ways than one! Not only did Melissa graduate on time, she graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering while working an internship in California and attending school in Michigan. Melissa’s story shows that bumps in the road of life do not have to define your path and that financial independence is STILL achievable even if life throws you a curveball. In This Episode We Cover:Melissa's money journeyThree situations that set up her money mindsetWhat her life looks like during her college yearsWhat her school program looks like during her college yearsHow she handles the situation when she got pregnant during her college yearsOn childcareHer goal after collegeAll about her medical debtThe reason why she opens up her 401kWhat her lifestyle looks like and the sacrifice she made to make things possibleOn paying off her debtHow does her situation changed after she got marriedThe moment she discovered the FIRE movementAnd SO much more!Links:BiggerPockets Money Podcast 79: Financial Freedom Through Decades of Hard Work and Hustle with Carol ScottBiggerPockets Money Podcast 82: Early Money Lessons Create Healthy Money Experiences with Aditi ShekarBiggerPockets Money Podcast 35: Hacking Your Life to Live for (Almost) Free with Craig CurelopBiggerPockets Money Podcast 26: Graduating College on Track for Financial Independence with Cody BermanBiggerPockets Money Podcast 22: How to Pay Off 6-Figure Student Loans While Pursuing Financial Independence with Travis HornsbyStudent Loan PlannerSoFiMr. Money MustacheMindy's emailConnect with Melissa:Traveling WalletMelissa's Twitter